the week:
This week, the boyfriend and I celebrated 7 years together. Unfortunately, he had to travel back to Pittsburgh to deal with the movers, so we’ll actually celebrate over the weekend. But… SEVEN YEARS, GUYS. Holy moly, how old am I?! And yes, we’re St. Patrick’s Day drunks-meets sweethearts.
Cheers to the new house!
weekend:
We’re heading into the city this weekend to use our (free) workout facility and explore downtown. With the NCAA tournaments in town, it’ s sure to be some MARCH MADNESS. *snicker*
seven things, seven days:
1. Our neighbors across the street invited us over for a party Sunday night, along with a few other couples. And everyone is so friendly, and I just feel right at home already. Plus, our sellers were there, so we were able to meet them, too.
2. Cats were pretty good in the car for 12 hours, and really only cried for the first hour. I only had one cat approach me in the drivers seat, with about an hour left to go. We were all incredibly antsy to get out of the car!
3. So, there are a lot of dirt roads near us and we don’t really know how to bypass them yet. This was a huge mistake, five minutes after going through a car wash. -_-
4. SEASON FINALE OF THE BACHELOR got me all… WUT. But I guessed his pick!
5. I had a quickie interview at a recruiting firm this week about a temp-to-hire position in the area. So… I got out of the house and drove around by myself! Bad news is that my car’s GPS doesn’t recognize my house. And Google Maps on my phone doesn’t do turn-by-turn (no clue why; it’s not muted). SHRUG. I got home.
6. Why do we work so hard? — a very thoughtful piece {via the Economist}
7. Oooh, I like this one very, very much: When it’s good to be bad {via Aeon}
the week:
Well, we made it through the first week of 2016 — and there’s a LOT going on! It finally snowed in Pittsburgh for real, which makes me so happy.
SNOW! This is the park in my neighborhood and it always looks so lovely in every season — but especially in winter.
I am positively excited and exhausted from my first full week back at roller derby — practices for both my home team AND two nights of tryouts for the travel teams. I was also immediately reminded how expensive this sport is when doing a needs assessment of equipment and such (especially considering that I needed to change my number and needed new scrimmage tanks, armbands, etc.). I got a call-back from the first round, so I have another round next week!
Also, THE BACHELOR STARTED THIS WEEK! The boyfriend and I watched it later in the week, and it’s always a fun source of entertainment and dating roles banter between us.
weekend:
It’s Pittsburgh Marathon Training Kick-off time! Can you believe it’s already here?! I feel like I was just training for the half. My “official” full training starts after Gasparilla, which is at an almost-halfway point of my training cycle. I also renewed my annual membership with Steel City Road Runners, which I hope to use a lot more this season. There is a lot of FUN running madness that happens in conjunction with this kick-off, so maybe I’ll see some of you there. 😀
ALSO, if playing roller derby was ever something you considered, Saturday is the LAST pre-tryout boot camp for joining Steel City Roller Derby in 2016. You need to attend a boot camp in order to try out, so this is a great opportunity to come out and see what we’re looking for and talk to some vets about your skill level, training, gameplay, etc. etc. And it’s especially helpful in meeting some of your Fresh Meat teammates who you will be progressing alongside on this new fun adventure. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
For your resolutions/health: Pittsburgh area Sam’s Clubs will be hosting free health screenings, open to the public, from 11-4pm this Saturday, Jan. 9. These health screenings are free, confidential and available to the public at all Sam’s Club locations with a pharmacy. Additional details on each one will be made available at SamsClub.com. Two of the free tests being offered – blood pressure and blood glucose – are two key markers of overall health. Participants will get an idea of where they stand healthwise, and what they can to do for a healthier 2016.
seven things, seven days:
1. Have you heard of/used Sweat Cosmetics? I learned of this brand over the weekend when watching the GRID league championships. And as someone who wears makeup during workouts (don’t judge!), I need to test these products out!
2. In doing additional research on “workout makeup,” I found FITGLOW BEAUTY. BONUS: they’re a natural beauty brand.
3. Somehow, with all of my current beauty choices, I have taken to shopping Ulta over Sephora. I’m definitely not a VIB anymore!
4. Every day at lunch, I’m eating at least two sticks of PLAIN veggie. Gotta start somewhere, right?
5. For a few years (not last year), I would do a dry January; the boyfriend and I are doing this again — though this year, we didn’t start on January 1 (but the 4th). Basically, it’s a sober 30 days reset. This year is already kind of wonky, so like most things… we’re adapting a bit. The importance of doing this, however, remains. {link via Huffington Post}
6. Oh, hey, fellow Browns fan: The psychological reasons why Fans stand behind perennial losers {via NYT}
7. Here’s your weekly dose of science — appropriately, for keeping your resolutions {via Greatist}
the week:
I hit my 30-day countdown point for my marathon training. I also got my first marathon reminder email this week. So… EEEEEEEEEK.
weekend:
This weekend I’m running the Akron Marathon Relay with a few friends. It’s my first relay, and I’m running leg 3 (the leg with the “hill”), which is 5.5 miles (I also need to run 18 total miles for my long run this week). I’m already experiencing a good amount of anxiety about the race because relay-ing seems so complicated because of its many moving (ahem, running) parts. And how the heck do I get to my starting point? Do I *have* to line up at 7 a.m. with everyone else?
If you’re in Pittsburgh, the Great Race (aka: the Great Big Clusterfuck) is happening on Sunday.
52 books in 52 weeks:
I happened to start two different 400-page books this week, so I’m not finishing anything soon (but both stories are SO GOOD). One is a work of fiction, which I haven’t included in my reading for a while.
seven things, seven days:
1. I started two applications for grad programs, and I have two open houses on my calendar. Highly motivated to start graduate school in early 2016.
2. My new on-site, day-to-day manager is two floors below my current office (no clue if that will eventually change), so I’m getting a lot of stairs in.
3. Reality TV is one of my guilty pleasures, and no matter how much Bachelor in Paradise annoyed me, I still watched and rolled my eyes incessantly. Read: Misattribution in Paradise {via Science of Relationships}
4. Speaking of TV, how do you feel about the season openers of Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder? Me: MEH.
5. How to be mentally tough: lessons from sports psychologists {via Today}
6. What’s the source of success in sports? A great listen from NPR.
7. Not there yet, but almost time to taper (and 11 fears you experience while tapering for a marathon). {via Women’s Running} I legit nearly cried from fear when I read this article.
the week:
Starting the week on a 4-day stretch of headaches was no way to jump start my training routine! I think I’ve only had one migraine in my life, but this felt dangerously close to one at times — Tylenol wasn’t working, a massage didn’t work, coffee only subdued it temporarily (cheese plates made me happier, but depressingly do nothing for headaches either). My eyes were super light-sensitive and unfocused; the pain radiated from behind my eyes all the way to the innards of my cranial cavity. I can tell you that wine all but made it disappear, but returned with a roaring vengeance the next morning (with a noxious hangover, natch). Since nothing alleviated my symptoms, I’m left to think I was glutened something harsh last week, and darn it if I can’t figure out from what! See also: hormones.
The reality is that I’m now a week behind in my training for the 10-miler, and I’m just going to dust myself off and try it again (and so far, on schedule!).
Wine course from our Bar Marco dinner last weekend.
weekend:
Birthday celebration tonight for a friend downtown (there may be more champagne with sparklers). The National Aviary is having one of their 21+ events too, Party in Paradise, which I’m also hoping to attend (albeit late).
I am also SO looking forward to a scheduled (and “free”) facial at my massage place for continuing my membership (yeah, those monthly massages are splurge-worthy AND necessary for this 30-something body).
And holy CRAP do I have a laundry list of shit to do and homework this weekend.
seven things, seven days:
1. Someone finally came over and took away my old couch (bittersweet, a bit). But YAY! My new sofa is finally in my living room (and now all the decorating re-begins).
2. A lunchtime dentist appointment brought about the scheduling for replacement of two silver fillings from, like, 20+ years ago. I seriously have A HOLE in the filling of my last molar. This reality? WHOLE PAYCHECK.
3. This week the Cultural Trust announced their 2015-2016 PNC Broadway Across America season (and specials) with a fun party at the Byham.
4. YES. >> “Books like The Secret are like McDonald’s for the mind. They’re easy and make you feel good, but they also make you mentally fat and lazy, and emotionally, you die a much more painful death.” {via the ever-provoking and awesome Mark Manson}
5. 30 YEARS of reality television, of which I have consumed with much guilty pleasure — a retrospective via Pacific Standard.
6. What you need to know about limiting beliefs: a really great post from Belief Alchemy, with includes some helpful exercises. How can you change your reality?
7. The research of walking vs. high-intensity interval training in The New York Times.
